Disclosed in the embodiment herein is an improved system and method for the transferring of compiled sheet sets from a compiling system to a compiled sets stacking system, with reduced tendencies for sheet scattering and thus providing more neatly and directly superposed sheets in the set, especially for unbound sets. Yet it allows a relatively simple and gravity based transition of the sets from a sheets compiling area to the separate compiled sheet sets stacking area.
Various types of output or xe2x80x9cfinishingxe2x80x9d systems or modules are known in the art, including those in which the output of a printer which can provide pre-collated, for example, page order printed sheets may be on-line compiled (accumulated in a superposed set) into completed sets of plural sheets. The compiled sets may, or may not, be stapled or otherwise bound together. Then each compiled set may be automatically dropped, pushed out, or otherwise stacked on a stack of previously compiled sets, typically on an automatic level elevator tray or removable container, for convenient collection and subsequent removal. The following Xerox Corp. U.S. patent disclosures, and other art cited therein, are noted merely by way of some examples: U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,074 issued Mar. 24, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,251 issued Feb. 22, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,201 issued Apr. 25, 1995; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,529 issued Nov. 11, 1997.
In particular, there is noted Xerox Corp. U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,158 issued Oct. 3, 1989. Also, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,695 discloses a sheet stacker and finisher apparatus in which a multi-page set of sheets delivered from a copier or printer are collected at an assembly station. During the feeding of sheets comprising the set of sheets, a jogger is actuated to align side edges and to register the trail edges against a backstop and on an assembly bar. The sheet feeding and jogging continues until a complete set of sheets has been assembled. Upon completion of a set of sheets, the feeding of further sheets from the copier or printer is interrupted until the trail edge of the set of sheets is clamped or gripped and the set of sheets removed from the assembly station. At this time a subsequent set of sheets may be fed from the copier or printer onto the assembly station, while the previous set of sheets is being stapled and then stored on a storage table. Thus, less time is lost, because the interruption in sheets being fed to the sheet stacker and finisher is only for a relatively short time and not for completion of the finishing of the prior set of sheets.
The sheet handling system embodiment disclosed herein provides improved sheet alignment and stacking control, with productivity suitable for high volume finishing, and also enabling a minimum xe2x80x9cfootprintxe2x80x9d or lateral space requirement. It can also handle a wide range of weight, condition and beam strength sheets. It can also enable, as shown, xe2x80x9con linexe2x80x9d compiling and finishing of sets of sheets received directly seriatim (sequentially) from the output of even a high speed printer, or various other document creating apparatus.
As shown, the output of seriatim printed sheets may be accumulated and neatly stacked on a temporary sheets supporting system until the desired number of sheets for that set (for example, all the pages of a collated document) is accumulated (compiled). The temporary sheets supporting system may then automatically open to drop each completed or compiled set of sheets (one set at a time), but with positive alternate side set clamping control against sheet scattering or skewing, dropping only one side of the set at a time, by a short distance, down onto a multiple sets stacking system, such as the illustrated self-lowering elevator stacking tray system, so as to provide reduced set scattering or skewing of the sheets or the sets as compared to less controlled systems.
One feature of the specific embodiment disclosed herein is to provide a method of neatly compiling and stacking print media sheets in discrete sets of said print media sheets comprising seriatim receiving and stacking plural print media sheets on a print media sheets compiling and temporary set supporting system until a desired plural number of said print media sheets defining a single said set thereof has been accumulated on said temporary set supporting system, gripping a first end of said set of print media sheets, dropping a second and opposite end of said set of print media sheets onto a multiple sets stacking system positioned underneath said print media sheets temporary set supporting system by opening said temporary set supporting system while continuing to grip said first end of said set of print media sheets, to reduce sheet or set scattering, gripping said second and opposite end of said set of print media sheets at said multiple sets stacking system; and then dropping said first end of said set of print media sheets from said temporary set supporting system onto said multiple sets stacking system while continuing to grip said second and opposite end of said set of print media sheets, to reduce sheet or set scattering.
Further specific features disclosed in the embodiment herein, individually or in combination, include those wherein said print media sheets set may be additionally fastened together in said print media sheets compiling and temporary set supporting system; and/or wherein said print media sheets compiling and temporary set supporting system includes a partial supporting shelf for said first end of said set of print media sheets for accomplishing said gripping of said first end of said set of print media sheets by clamping said first end of said set of print media sheets against first end supporting shelf, and/or wherein said print media sheets compiling and temporary set supporting system includes print media sheet side supporting members that open away from one another to drop said set of print media sheets therebetween, and/or wherein said print media sheets compiling and temporary set supporting system includes print media sheet set side supporting members that open away from one another to drop said set of print media sheets therebetween, and/or a system for neatly compiling and stacking print media sheets in sets of plural said print media sheets, comprising a print media sheets compiling and set supporting system for seriatim receiving and stacking plural print media sheets on said set supporting system until a desired plural number of said print media sheets defining a single said set thereof has been accumulated on said set supporting system, means for gripping a first end of said set of print media sheets on said set supporting system, a multiple sets stacking system positioned below said print media sheets compiling and set supporting system, means for dropping a second and opposite end of said set of print media sheets onto said multiple sets stacking system by opening said set supporting system while continuing to grip said first end of said set of print media sheets, means for gripping said second and opposite end of said set of print media sheets; and means for subsequently dropping said first end of said set of print media sheets onto said multiple sets stacking system while continuing to grip said second and opposite end of said set of print media sheets, and/or further including a set fastening system for optionally fastening said set of plural print media sheets together, and/or wherein said print media sheets compiling and set supporting system includes a partial set supporting shelf for said first end of said set of print media sheets, and said means for gripping said first end of said set of print media sheets grips said first end of said set of print media sheets against said partial set supporting shelf, and/or wherein said print media sheets compiling and temporary set supporting system includes at least two print media sheet side supporting members that open horizontally away from one another to drop said set of print media sheets therebetween, and/or a system for neatly compiling and stacking print media sheets in multiple sets of plural said print media sheets on a multiple sets stacking system comprising a print media sheets compiling and temporary set supporting system for seriatim receiving and stacking a set of plural print media sheets on said temporary set supporting system, said multiple sets stacking system being positioned below said print media sheets temporary set supporting system, a first clamping system actuatable to clamp a first end of said set of plural print media sheets on said temporary set supporting system, said print media sheets temporary set supporting system being openable to drop a second and opposite end of said set of plural print media sheets onto said multiple sets stacking system while said first clamping system is actuated to clamp said first end of said set of plural print media sheets, a second clamping system for clamping said second and opposite end of said set of plural print media sheets; and said first clamping system being actuatable to release said first end of said set of plural print media sheets to drop said first end of said set of plural print media sheets onto said multiple sets stacking system while said second clamping system is clamping said second end of said set of plural print media sheets, and/or wherein said print media sheets temporary set supporting system includes a partial set supporting shelf for said first end of said set of print media sheets, which partial set supporting shelf is part of said first clamping system, and/or wherein said print media sheets temporary set supporting system includes print media sheet opposing side supporting members that open away from one another to drop said set of print media sheets therebetween, and/or wherein said print media sheets compiling and temporary set supporting system sequentially compiles said print media sheets on said temporary set supporting system and further includes a set finishing system for binding individual said sets of plural print media sheets together thereon, and/or wherein multiple sets of plural said print media sheets stacked on said multiple sets stacking system are stacked offset from one another by offsetting of at least a portion of said print media sheets compiling and temporary set supporting system.
The disclosed system may be operated and controlled by appropriate operation of conventional control systems. It is well known and preferable to program and execute imaging, printing, paper handling, and other control functions and logic with software instructions for conventional or general purpose microprocessors, as taught by numerous prior patents and commercial products. Such programming or software may of course vary depending on the particular functions, software type, and microprocessor or other computer system utilized, but will be available to, or readily programmable without undue experimentation from, functional descriptions, such as those provided herein, and/or prior knowledge of functions which are conventional, together with general knowledge in the software or computer arts. Alternatively, any disclosed control system or method may be implemented partially or fully in hardware, using standard logic circuits or single chip VLSI designs.
The term xe2x80x9cprinterxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9creproduction apparatusxe2x80x9d as used herein broadly encompasses various printers, copiers or multifunction machines or systems, xerographic or otherwise, unless otherwise defined in a claim. The term xe2x80x9csheetxe2x80x9d herein refers to a usually flimsy physical sheet of paper, plastic, or other suitable physical substrate for printing images thereon, whether precut or initially web fed. A complied collated set of printed output sheets may be alternatively referred to as a document, booklet, or the like. It is also known to use interposers or inserters to add covers or other inserts to the compiled sets.
As to specific components of the subject apparatus or methods, or alternatives therefor, it will be appreciated that, as is normally the case, some such components are known per se in other apparatus or applications, which may be additionally or alternatively used herein, including those from art cited herein. For example, it will be appreciated by respective engineers and others that many of the particular component mountings, component actuations, or component drive systems illustrated herein are merely exemplary, and that the same novel motions and functions can be provided by many other known or readily available alternatives. All cited references, and their references, are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for teachings of additional or alternative details, features, and/or technical background. What is well known to those skilled in the art need not be described herein.